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tv   ABC World News Tonight With David Muir  ABC  September 30, 2024 10:00pm-10:31pm PDT

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come on the air. the scope of the deaf station growing. the search for the missing right now. the death toll now rising to more than 130. hillsides washed away, bridges washed ut. also tonight, we remember a basketball hall of famer and the loss of a beloved broadway star gone too soon. first tonight, the stunning images showing the deadly and sweeping impact of hurricane helene. the death toll rising tonight now more than 130 people killed across six states. a bridge collapsing into a
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raging river, communities cut off tonight. families in asheville, north carolina, without food, electricity, cell service. cars lined up for more than a mile just to get gas. tonight vice president haris cutting her campaign schedule short, turning her attention to storm relief meeting with fema and speaking with georgia governor brian kemp. authorities in north carolina had asked the administration to wait before traveling there given the emergency. tonight former president donald trump traveling to the storm zone in georgia. tonight the developing headline, israeli troops expected to launch limited ground raids into lebanon just days after the killing of the leader of hezbollah. tonight, the potentially crippling port strike now just hours away. we're monitoring this. up to 45,000 dockworkers along the east coast and the gulf set to walk off the job at midnight. what this could mean for prices across this country. the massive fire burning at a chemical plant tonight and the real concern over air quality. the toxic, dangerous smoke
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visible for miles and some sheltering in place at this hour. tonight the u.s. releasing a video with a russian fighter jet nearly colliding with an american f-16, the two planes coming within 50 feet of one another. in new york city, what indicted mayor eric adams has asked the judge to do. tonight former president jimmy carter turns 100. also tonight we remember the hall of fame basketball legend, the broadway star also gone too soon, and of course, the tributes continue to pour in tonight for kris kristofferson. this evening here, in his own word, what he once told our diane sawyer. ♪ ♪ from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir. >> david: good evening and it's great to start another week with all of you at home. we do be intonight with the stunning images coming in this evening revealing the true scope of the deadly storm that came with hurricane helene. the mounting death toll tonight, a staggering number, more than 130 people are now confirmed
quote
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dead across six states. new images of the destruction, the moment a bridge is destroyed by a raging river. these images from eastern tennessee. the bridge completely washed away. in boone, north carolina, heavy rain triggering a mudslide careening down the hill just amazing, destroying the property below. the lake completely filled with splintered wood and debris. much of north carolina left in ruins. stunned neighbors walking through muddy streets sur vague what happened there. many damaged by russian waters part of interstate 40 in north carolina washed away. and the images today, the lines a mile long wait for example gas there. with so many in need, the efforts to get to them with so many roads impassable. abc's faith a guby in north carolina tonight. >> reporter: tonight an urgent search for the missing after hurricane helene turned hillsides into rivers of mud and
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tore bridges to pieces. >> there are 92 rescue teams out working doing search and rescue right now. we are dealing with a situation that is unlike anybody's ever seen in western north carolina. >> reporter: floodwaters cutting off entire communities. more than 130 people dead across six states and hundreds more still unaccounted for. parts of asheville, north carolina, now unrecognizable, and along this road, household items and tractor trailers piled up high. this one wrapped in the trees and power lines and the floodwaters so strong it pushed what appears to be a horse or a cow underneath that one. >> this is what a flood would do. >> reporter: the iconec music venue, the asheville guitar club was filled with mud. >> the water level was up to the main beam. >> reporter: he's tired and frustrated. >> the past few days have been a
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nightmare. a lot of looting. we've lost everything and people are coming in to take even more from us. >> reporter: lines for fuel more than a mile long. the need for the basics to live, water and food growing more desperate by the minute, but so many roads remain impassable. images from the north carolina department of transportation showing massive chunks missing from crucial interstate 40. a massive effort now under way to get relief into the area. the national guard mobilizing troops and flying in heavy equipment from states as far away as new york and connecticut. civilian pilots in hickory, north carolina, using their own helicopters to fly in supplies. >> think hurricane katrina except in the mountains and the helicopters and boats. >> reporter: in winston, salem, with local workers turned volunteers. allison sink and kelly stone filling trucks with water, paper towels and diapers. >> we went from feeling helpless to feeling like we could actually make a difference.
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>> reporter: hurricane helene made landfall hundreds of miles from here in florida's big bend four days ago. today officials in florida announced that all state roads are cleared, and while they are dealing with devastation of their own they're also sending teams to help their hard-hit neighbors to the north. david, here in asheville, while authorities search for victims and bring in much needed food and water you can see it's still raining and they're still dealing with remnants of helene and a massive cleanup effort is ahead. >> the damage has been extraordinary. faith abubey, thanks. ginger zee, you warned of the potential danger and just to see it it's just so devastating and parts of the remnants are still churning and hitting the people hit by the storm already. >> reporter: that's right, where you saw rain from faith, believe it or not, that's still tropical moisture from helene.
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the cutoff low and the upper atmosphere has been spinning this out around the mid south all day today and the flood watches through central virginia and the flash flood warning with the dark red boxes, greensborough, north carolina and richmond, virginia right now. that means flash flood war don't get in the car and don't drive. that's the easiest way to stay safe and it could produce one to three inches quickly and the lingering rain showers in north carolina today. we will finally push most of this out by tomorrow night just with the cold front and then just in time to look at the atlantic, very busy. the joyces and the isaacs of the world not going to impact land and that's the area of thunderstorms we'll be watching potentially to include the gulf by the weekend or next week. it's looking less nefarious than helene. >> david: we'll see you tomorrow, thank you. 36 days to go before the election and vice president harris speaking to fema and
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government officials from air force 2. authority ins north carolinas said to wait because of the unfolding emergency there. former president trump traveling to georgia in the storm zone and his claim about president biden and the governor of georgia. the governor said otherwise and president biden saying he's lying. >> reporter: kamala harris at fema headquarters in washington, d.c., briefed on the deadly storm that gutted the southeast. >> to everyone that's been impacted by this storm and to all of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss, our nation is with you and president biden and i and all of the folks behind me are with you. harris cutting her campaign schedule short this weekend flying back to washington, her team releasing this image. the vice president on air force 2 after speaking with head of fema. she also has spoken with the
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governors of battered georgia and north carolina. north carolina officials asking harris and president biden not to visit just yet. the security challenge would be too great for the struggling state. earlier today, former president donald trump traveling to georgia meeting with local officials in devastated valdosta. >> throughout the region, our hearts are with you. >> reporter: in georgia, a crucial battleground, trump repeatedly falsely stating that brian kemp has not been able to reach president biden. >> the governor is doing a very good job. he's having a hard time getting the president on the phone. i guess they're not being responsive, the federal government is not being responsive. >> reporter: earlier this morning the republican governor said biden actually did call him over the weekend and offered his full support. >> i just spoke and the president just called him yesterday afternoon and i missed him and i called him right back and he said hey, what do you need, and i told him we've got what we need. we'll work through the federal process. he offered other things we need
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and just to call and we appreciate that. >> reporter: tonight at the white house president biden furious calling trump's claim irresponsible. >> he's lying and the governor told him he was lying. the governor told him he was lying. i've spoken to the governor and i don't know why he does this, and the reason i get so angry about it, i don't care what hes about me. i care what he communicates to the people that are in need, implies that we're not doing anything possible. we are. we are. >> david: president biden a short time ago in the oval office. rachel scott live in georgia and of course, we're thinking about all of the families in georgia, as well and even though the storm is affecting this campaign and all eyes tomorrow night will be on the vice presidential debate and we'll carry it on abc live with walz and j.d. vance. >> reporter: both are hunkered down doing mock debate prep and
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former kamala told pete buttigieg has been playing the role of ohio senator j.d. vance and vance has been doing mock debates, as well. tom emmer playing the role of walz. >> david: the fact that you're standing in a storm zone speaks volumes about the moment we're in. rachel scott, thank you. be sure to join us for live coverage of the debate. our special will start at 8:00 p.m. with the wheel team and the vice presidential debate at 9:00 pchl m. governor tim walz and senator j.d. vance. you can watch the debate at 9:00 p.m. here on abc. >> in the meantime we continue to follow this developing situation in the middle east. israeli forces moments ago announcing the start of what they're calling, quote, limited, localized and targeted raids on the ground in lebanon in hezbollah. ian pannell in beirut tonight.
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>> reporter: tonight israel launches raids into southern lebanon with limited and localized land operations against hezbollah. with their support israeli troops will go after hezbollah fighters, weapons and infrastructure. they deployed fighter squadrons and a few thousand extra personnel, and president biden asked if he was aware of israel's plans. >> am more aware than you know and i'm comfortable with them stopping. we should have a ceasefire now. >> reporter: israel expanding their attacks in yemen, and heavy strikes against hezbollah missile sites across lebanon. so far, iran not responding militarily to the assassination of hezbollah's longtime leader hassan nasrallah and netanyahu appearing to make a veiled threat to the people. >> that moment will come a lot sooner than people think everything will be different. >> reporter: hundreds of people have died in lebanon, not just
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fighters, but civilians, too. this is the only main unit in lebanon and it gets almost no funding, but for 15-year-old hussein it saved his life. he was burned in southern lebanon. he said hezbollah had launched an attack from nearby. i'm in some pain, he says. he criticizes hezbollah for operating near his house. we have nothing to do with the war. you get hit out of nowhere. >> reporter: hezbollah's number two answering saying if they enter by land his troops will be ready for battle. we've been seeing and hearing strikes in beirut as more residents are warneded to leave their homes immediately. >> david: you and the team please stay safe. ian, thank you. back here at home, dramatic video from the skies in alaska. a russian fighter jet nearly clyding colliding with a u.s. aircraft when a russian jet appears
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coming within 50 feet and you see the plane swaying there and it was unsafe, unprofessional and endangered all. we are tracking what could be a potentially crippling port strike and up to 45,000 dockworkers along the east coast and the gulf set to walk off the job tonight at midnight. >> reporter: tonight, a last-minute push for a deal with up to 47,000 union dock workers from new england to texas are threaten threatening to walk off the job potentially costing the american economy up to $7.5 billion in one week. at midnight tonight operations along the eastern gulf coast set to grind to a halt, unable to load cargo like fresh fraught, cars and medicine on or off container ships. we visited this food warehouse in maryland that imports nearly all of its products. kevin reed says they've been stockpile ahead of a possible
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strike. >> i hope they understand that they're want the only players involved in this. >> reporter: tonight, the international long shoremen's association doubling down on demand. a 77% pay hike over six years and limited use of automated machines. the maritime alliance countering with a nearly 50% wage increase. lisa ripken and her son eli run a small toy store relying on last-minute shipments to keep their shelves stock. >> if ships costs go up, which they probably will, we'd have to raise our prices up even more and that's tough because the higher the prices are the less people want to buy our stuff. >> reporter: they met with the maritime alliance. >> david: elizabeth schulze, thank you. >> we are monitoring a chemical fire. toxic smoke as you can see there, visible for up to 30 miles pouring from the biolab pool chemical plant. the fire burning for hours now. authorities encouraging more than 90,000 people now to
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shelter in place. when we come back here tonight, in new york city what indicted mayor eric adams has now asked a judge to do. also tonight, remembering an nba legend and a broadway star gone too soon and the tributes
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tonight, in new york city, tonight, in new york city, indicted mayor eric adams is asking a judge to dismiss the bribery charge against him. mayor adams indicted on federal charges linked to an investigation into illegal campaign contributions. he's accused of accepting $100,000 in gifts from turkish
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officials. his attorney says, quote, courtesies to politicians are not federal crimes. when we come back here tonight, remembering a beloved nba legend. also, a beloved broadway star gone too soon tonight. and we have news
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to the index of other news. and abc news has just learned that baseball great pete rose has died. the all-time major league hitter with hits known as charlie hustle known for his hard-nosed play on the field. he was banned for life from baseball and the hall of fame for gambling on the game. his repeated appeals to be reinstated were rejected. pete rose was 83. we also learned today that nba hall of famer dikembe mutombo has died following his battle with brain cancer. charismatic, one of the greatest shot blockers ever, complete with his trademark finger wag. he was 58. we've also learned tonight that tony-winning broadway actor gavin creel has died from a rare form of cancer. known for his roles in "hello dolly," "hair," and "waitress." bette midler remembering her former costar, saying, "he was fantastic, what a loss." gavin creel was just 48.
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and former president jimmy carter tonight, about to turn 100. the 39th president of the united states celebrating a birthday tomorrow in hospice care. he will mark the day in his hometown of plains, georgia. happy birthday. when we come back tonight, the tributes pouring in
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finally tonight, celebrating finally tonight, celebrating country music legend and actor kris kristofferson. ♪ loving her was easier than anything i'll ever do again ♪ >> david: kris kristofferson's
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voice and lyrics were singular. ♪ he's a walking contradiction ♪ ♪ partly true ♪ ♪ partly fiction ♪ >> david: he became a country music star. a songwriter who would then perform with music's biggest legends. ♪ freedom's just another word for ♪ ♪ nothing left to lose ♪ ♪ nothing ain't worth nothing ♪ ♪ but it's free ♪ >> david: janis joplin recording a song, "me and bobby mcgee." it would become a number one hit after her death in 1970. johnny cash performing his song "sunday morning coming down" right along with him. ♪ something in a sunday ♪ ♪ makes your body feel alone ♪ >> david: and, of course, starring alongside barbra streisand in "a star is born" in 1976. ♪ you and i will make each night a first ♪
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♪ every day a beginning ♪ >> david: he would go on to star in more than 50 movies, but music was always his first love. ♪ and we're gonna ride ♪ >> david: his last hit was with the highway men, the group of country legends, johnny cash, willie nelson, waylon jennings. ♪ and when the yards broke off ♪ ♪ they said that i got killed ♪ >> david: our diane sawyer once meeting up with them on the road. they told her they were grateful to be performing together -- grateful to gain sobriety together. >> we're the ones who got through it, you know? and we still got our chops, you know? the people i'd like to tell, to walk away from it, are the guys that are -- still could lose. walk away from it. the young people, who might not get through, who might not be as blessed or as lucky as we were. >> david: kris kristofferson was 88. ♪ freedom's just another word for ♪ ♪ nothing ain't worth nothing ♪ ♪ but it's free ♪ >> david: incredible body of work.
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powerful words from diane with him, even all these years later. i'm david muir. great to have you here on a monday night. and i'll see you right back here tomorrow. good night
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a calm and clear night in san francisco, but don't get too comfortable because the heat is on. we will likely see more record temperatures tomorrow as another heat wave sweeps the bay area, and with the heat comes risks heat related illnesses, poor air quality and increased fire danger are all in the forecast this week. good evening, i'm ama daetz and i'm dion lim. there is a lot to talk about weather wise, so right away let's get to the forecast. let's check in